If a candidate has indicated they are transgender it’s probably because they want you to be confident with them and for them to be confident with you.

The Equality Act 2010 restricts the definition of Transgender to ‘an individual going through a gender re-assignment process’, however the term has a broader meaning referring to gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) not matching one’s assigned sex (identification by others as male, female or intersex based on physical/genetic sex).

Transgender does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation either; transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian/gay, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual; some may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable to them.

Understanding what Transgender means will help you to communicate with Transgender candidates confidently, appropriately and respectfully and allow you to make objective assessments based purely on ability.

Top Tips:

Where the candidate has indicated they are Transgender ensure everyone who will interact with the candidate is aware and confident about what Transgender means. Include front of house to reduce the potential impact of an inappropriate or misguided first impression.

If the candidate’s name doesn’t conform with your interpretation of their gender identity (example: you meet a male called Stephanie) don’t ask any questions about the candidate’s name as it’s disrespectful. The candidate has their own individual identity and it’s absolutely right that you should respect that identity.

Don’t allow the fact the candidate is transgender to distract you from finding their skills and don’t make any assumptions about the sort of role the candidate will be suited to.

Most of all, be yourself and allow the candidate to be themselves too. If you’re confident and comfortable, the candidate will be as well and will perform at their best allowing you to identify their true skills.

In the event of candidates requesting the use of bathroom facilities, it may be worth indicating where the male, female and accessible facilities are to avoid any confusion or embarrassment.